Thinking globally. Acting locally.
Brian Lamb’s innovations may help settle the hot debate over global warming. At the center of the maelstrom lie complex questions about the atmosphere—questions that require tricky measurements to answer. That’s where Professor Lamb steps in. He has engineered new instruments and data-collection methods that make it easier to gauge atmospheric gas levels. The right counts will shed new light on how the atmosphere and the earth’s surface interact, so minds can meet on the burning issue of climate change.

To serve local interests, Professor Lamb devised one of the nation’s first numerical air-quality forecasting systems. Each day it predicts pollutant levels in the Puget Sound to help protect residents from respiratory distress. He’ll soon add forecasting systems in urban Vancouver and Portland. He’ll also expand a system in the field-burning region of North Idaho to cover Eastern Washington. Over the long haul, his observations will help experts assess the impact of air pollution on public health.

Lamb Research Profile